Kerala cabinet expanded

Governor R S Gavai administered the oath of office and secrecy to the ministers-designate at a function attended by Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan, ministers and other dignitaries.
Joseph returned to the cabinet after an unceremonial exit in 2006 in the wake of his alleged misbehaviour with a woman passenger in an aircraft. A Chennai court had acquitted him of the charges. Joseph replaces Public Works Development Minister Mons Joseph.

Ramachandran Kadannappally is currently president of the Congress (S) and represents Edakkad in the Assembly. Kadannapally took charge as Devaswom minister.

Jose Thettayil of the Janata Dal (S) owes allegiance to Deve Gowda and represents the Angamali constituency. He replaces Mathew T Thomas as Transport Minister, who had resigned before the LS elections protesting denial of the Kozhikode seat to the Janata Dal (Secular) by the CPM. Though the party subsequently split with the faction led by Veerendrakumar leaving the LDF, Mathew Thomas and Jose Thettayil remained with the front.